23 April 2014

 Can Sales Management Increase Results? By Bob Urichuck

Organizations often promote the best salespeople into management whether they desire to be there or not—it is seen as a promotion or reward for the results they achieved. However, being a great salesperson does not make someone a great sales manager.

The toughest job of being a sales manager is demonstrating appropriate sales behavior—behavior you would like to see your sales team follow. Because you demonstrated successful behaviors with your buyers to get sales, does not mean the same behaviors will increase your sales team’s results.

So, what would be the appropriate sales discipline (behavior) for sales managers to demonstrate?

Do you:

· Always make yourself available to your team members or spend time with management?

· Assign targets to each, or engage each to come up with their own target and draft sales plan?

· Monitor their numbers or their behaviors?

· Tell your salespeople what to do, or are you engaging them?

· Lead salespeople or empower them to obtain commitment?

· Demonstrate the behaviors you are training and coaching them on, or you are too busy kissing butt upwards to do that.

These are just a few questions you need to answer for yourself, and there are a lot more.

· How can you expect results if you follow traditional sales management ways?

· How do you think telling people what to do makes them feel?

· Do you like to be told what to do by your boss?

· How does it make you feel when you are told what to do?

· How does it make buyers feel when your sales team demonstrates the same telling behavior?

Ownership generates commitment

Most salespeople don’t like to be told what to do. Neither do customers. And yet that is usually what selling is all about—telling. When you are telling it indicates lack of engagement, trust and empowerment. Is that what you want?

It is no longer about you or top management—it is about the buyer. And the buyer in your case is your sales team. Do they buy into your sales management ways? If not, you will not lead results. If they do, the results will flow easily!

Who knows their market or territory best— top management, you (the sales manager) or the sales rep?

What if you engaged the sales rep into setting the revenue target for their market or territory? Do you think it would be lower or higher?

The chances are that it will be higher, and in some cases lower. Either way you may have to do some negotiations up or down, but the point is, in the end, who owns the number— top management, sales management or the sales rep?

When someone has ownership, there is commitment. Commitment is what sales managers and salespeople have to obtain to lead results.

Next, what would happen if you got each member of your sales team to draft a sales plan and present it back to the team for feedback before finalizing? Once they finalize it and sign it off, who owns it?

Finally, as a sales manager should you manage the numbers or each salesperson’s behavior according to the sales plan? Is it not the behavior that people demonstrate that gets the numbers? Also, would it not be easier to manage their behaviors instead?

Sales professionals, buyers and probably you, too, like to be engaged. To be engaged means to be involved. Being involved is the second biggest motivating factor in the workplace. Everyone wants to contribute to the success of their organization. When you are involved, you feel empowered, trusted and become more motivated and committed because you own the idea.

Are you involving your salespeople, or are you telling them what to do? Are your salespeople asking questions of their buyers or are they telling them about their company and its products and services. The chances are they are doing exactly what you are doing— monkey see, monkey do.

Be aware. What monkey do you see, and what are you doing?

Bob Urichuck is an internationally sought after speaker, trainer—founder of the "Buyer Focused" Velocity Selling System—and best-selling author in six languages. His latest books, Velocity Selling: How to Attract, Engage and Empower Buyers to Buy, and How to Motivate Your Team in 30 Days are new in 2014.

Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion

23 April 2014

Can Sales Management Increase Results?

Organizations often promote the best salespeople into management whether they desire to be there or not—it is seen as a promotion or reward for the results they achieved. However, being a great salesperson does not make someone a great sales manager.

The toughest job of being a sales manager is demonstrating appropriate sales behavior—behavior you would like to see your sales team follow. Because you demonstrated successful behaviors with your buyers to get sales, does not mean the same behaviors will increase your sales team’s results.

So, what would be the appropriate sales discipline (behavior) for sales managers to demonstrate?

Do you:

• Always make yourself available to your team members or spend time with management?
• Assign targets to each, or engage each to come up with their own target and draft sales plan?
• Monitor their numbers or their behaviors?
• Tell your salespeople what to do, or are you engaging them?
• Lead salespeople or empower them to obtain commitment?
• Demonstrate the behaviors you are training and coaching them on, or you are too busy kissing butt upwards to do that.

These are just a few questions you need to answer for yourself, and there are a lot more.

• How can you expect results if you follow traditional sales management ways?
• How do you think telling people what to do makes them feel?
• Do you like to be told what to do by your boss?
• How does it make you feel when you are told what to do?
• How does it make buyers feel when your sales team demonstrates the same telling behavior?

Ownership generates commitment

Most salespeople don’t like to be told what to do. Neither do customers. And yet that is usually what selling is all about—telling. When you are telling it indicates lack of engagement, trust and empowerment. Is that what you want?

It is no longer about you or top management—it is about the buyer. And the buyer in your case is your sales team. Do they buy into your sales management ways? If not, you will not lead results. If they do, the results will flow easily!

Who knows their market or territory best— top management, you (the sales manager) or the sales rep?

What if you engaged the sales rep into setting the revenue target for their market or territory? Do you think it would be lower or higher?

The chances are that it will be higher, and in some cases lower. Either way you may have to do some negotiations up or down, but the point is, in the end, who owns the number— top management, sales management or the sales rep?

When someone has ownership, there is commitment. Commitment is what sales managers and salespeople have to obtain to lead results.

Next, what would happen if you got each member of your sales team to draft a sales plan and present it back to the team for feedback before finalizing? Once they finalize it and sign it off, who owns it?

Finally, as a sales manager should you manage the numbers or each salesperson’s behavior according to the sales plan? Is it not the behavior that people demonstrate that gets the numbers? Also, would it not be easier to manage their behaviors instead?

Sales professionals, buyers and probably you, too, like to be engaged. To be engaged means to be involved. Being involved is the second biggest motivating factor in the workplace. Everyone wants to contribute to the success of their organization. When you are involved, you feel empowered, trusted and become more motivated and committed because you own the idea.

Are you involving your salespeople, or are you telling them what to do? Are your salespeople asking questions of their buyers or are they telling them about their company and its products and services. The chances are they are doing exactly what you are doing— monkey see, monkey do.

Be aware. What monkey do you see, and what are you doing?

Bob Urichuck is an internationally sought after speaker, trainer—founder of the "Buyer Focused" Velocity Selling System—and best-selling author in six languages. His latest books, Velocity Selling: How to Attract, Engage and Empower Buyers to Buy, and How to Motivate Your Team in 30 Days are new in 2014.

Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion

23 April 2014

Is it a sales plan or a state of mind that feels support?

All salespeople are given a plan, a quota, or some kind of “numbers” to achieve as a major part of their job requirement.

The key word is “part.” The plan or the quota is a SMALL part of the achievement process.

How the company and leader supports the salesperson and his or her sales effort is another part – the MAJOR part.

The tools, the training, and the encouragement to achieve will determine the salesperson’s ultimate belief, effort, and outcome. (AKA: Results)

Sales leaders will always make value judgments on their salespeople’s ability to produce numbers, but rarely will they step up to bat and self-evaluate their own effort to support and encourage their salespeople.

Sales leaders are quick to judge the capability of their salespeople strictly by the numbers. They get reports to keep accountability high. They get reports to check on activity. They get reports to check the numbers.

CLASSIC EXAMPLE: If the number each salesperson is to achieve requires cold calling as a major part of the sales function, more than 50% will NOT make the grade. They will become discouraged by a 95% or more failure (rejection) rate, be unhappy, feel pressure, most likely lie on their sales report, and ultimately quit (or be fired).

SALES REALITY: Most salespeople resent the fact that they are held accountable for certain numbers that don’t have anything to do with actually making sales. In addition, most salespeople resent the fact that their sales training is focused on the product rather than selling skills.

BIGGER SALES REALITY. Sales is not numbers, it’s a rhythm. Any kind of sales requires you to get into a rhythm, and that rhythm be consistent. It’s not the song, it’s the backbeat. Backbeat provides the glue to music. Bass and drums, not lead guitar or vocals. Consistent beat, not a one-minute solo.

BIGGEST SALES REALITY. In order for salespeople to feel “in the groove,” and get the sales rhythm, there has to be leadership support, and there has to be leadership encouragement.

Leadership has to change the word accountability to the word responsibility. The salesperson is responsible for himself or herself, responsible for their outcomes, and responsible to their boss and their company for productivity.

Once the salesperson becomes a responsible salesperson they are automatically accountable to everyone without ever saying the word “accountable.”

But the boss and the company also have their own responsibility to support that salesperson 150%.

Here are the 7.5 responsibilities sales leadership has to salespeople in order for them to make their numbers happen without ever saying the word “accountability”:

7.5 Internal harmony. Whatever your internal process is, there must be a harmony between sales, accounting, shipping, and any internal administration that deals directly with salespeople and/or customers.   

I’ve just given you the tip of the sales performance iceberg. Most of the iceberg is not visible if the salesperson is fighting market conditions, customers, and competition to gain a competitive and profitable edge.

NON-SECRET FORMULA FOR SALES SUCCESS: Give salespeople encouragement and support and they will give you sales.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of twelve best-selling books including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, and 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling. His books are now available as online courses at www.GitomerVT.com. For information about training and seminars visit www.Gitomer.com or www.GitomerCertifiedAdvisors.com or email Jeffrey personally at  .

©2014 All Rights Reserved. Don’t even think about reproducing this document

without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer. 704/333-1112

16 April 2014

The way B2B companies must market & sell their products and services has changed By Ian Dainty
 
In a study by the Corporate Executive Board (CEB), of over 1400 B2B buyers, they found, that on average, those buyers completed nearly 60% of a typical purchasing decision—researching solutions, ranking options, setting requirements, benchmarking pricing, and so on—before even having a conversation with a supplier.
 
These buyers do their researching on the Internet, to see who the best companies could be for their needs. And what is the first place they look? At your website of course! This is assuming you are found on the first page of Google for the keywords they search for.
 
And they also check out any other information the Internet can provide; especially what your other customers are saying about your company on social media sites.
 
The way your customers buy the types of products and services you sell, has changed dramatically, even over the past 2 to 3 years. Has your company kept up?
 
I have found that most companies have not kept up.
 
So I have put together a free eBook on what you need, in your marketing, to ensure your company can be found, and you can show your potential customers what they are looking for, and what they need. And they can get it from your company.
 
The book is titled 7 REASONS WHY YOU NEED MORE MARKETING IN B2B
 
The seven reasons are;

1. How B2B People Buy
2. Why You Need A Great Website – The Ten Factors
3. Why B2B People Buy
4. The Five Influencers In A B2B Sale
5. Three Factors That Will Help You Close
6. 15+ Methods To Help You Market Your Products
7. Why Social Media Is So Important In B2B

 
If you are interested to see what your company needs in your marketing programs, to ensure your company will end up being top of mind to your potential buyers, you can get the eBook here for free.  
 
Please pass this email on to others in your company that you think would be interested in knowing and needing this valuable information.

Ian Dainty
mailto: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
416.277.4537

16 April 2014

The customer is stalling. What do I say now? By Jeffrey Gitomer

Jeffrey, When a client says he or she is “still reviewing their options,” I know you say that’s the result of their ability to see the value in my product or service. But how should I respond to this objection without pushing the customer away? Thanks, Gladys

You are correct that the customer has not seen enough value to select you. And, in fact, I don't believe you are in first position. Otherwise they would have given you more words of encouragement.

When this or any other stall occurs, you have to be prepared to communicate on a more direct level the customer with something that might evoke more truth and more respect.

Before I get down to the specifics, I want to make sure you understand the big picture – the strategy of what to do from 30,000 feet – so you can eventually get down on the ground and get to battle. Battle for the order, battle against your competition, and battle to gain the customer.

Start your thinking here:

• Ask as much as you dare. Asking questions allows you to gain information that might lead to a sale much quicker than you giving a sales pitch about why you're the greatest.

• Blame yourself for their indecision. To the prospective customer you have fallen short of communicating value, even though you’re certain that you’re the best choice. Be prepared with a list of your best value offerings, and ask to meet in person to go over it.

• Get clarity and clarification of the customer’s present status. When the customer says they’re still considering other options, obviously you need more information in order to determine exactly where you are, and exactly what to do next. The only way to get this information is to ask them directly.

• Be certain you're in the top three choices. If you are not number one, number two, or number three on the present list of potential vendors, there is no way to even win this business.

• What are the options beyond price that are part of the consideration. If price is the only option, you need to know that. If there are other elements that are being factored in the sale (terms, split order, speed of delivery, quality of product, reliable service), you need to know that too.

Now for the nitty-gritty. And keep in mind that the nitty-gritty questions can only be helpful to you if you understand the big picture.

ASK: How will the decision be made?

ASK: Who else are you considering?

ASK: What are the deciding factors?

ASK: What are you hoping for as an outcome?

ASK: What happened the last time you purchased?

ASK: What has the discussion included thus far?

And to further clarify the situation, and give you some real reasons behind this stall, it may be that:

• They don't have the money.

• They believe they can get it cheaper someplace else.

• They are looking for convenience and you may be too far away.

• They do not perceive enough value in your product or service.

• They have a bad past history with you or an existing vendor.

• They are unsettled as they weigh the risk factors.

• They do not have the comfort to move forward.

• They do not like you, have confidence in you, believe in you, or trust you enough to buy from you.

• They have some other unspoken objection.

• They have some other unspoken risk.

• They are unwilling to decide based on their lack of certainty.

“Still shopping around” or “still reviewing options” is not an objection, it's a stall that means the prospect has not found someone who gives them enough peace of mind, enough value perception, and enough confidence to move forward.

And you thought it was all about price. Shame on you!

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of twelve best-selling books including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, and 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling. His books are now available as online courses at www.GitomerVT.com. For information about training and seminars visit www.Gitomer.com or www.GitomerCertifiedAdvisors.com or email Jeffrey personally at  .

©2014 All Rights Reserved. Don’t even think about reproducing this document

without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer. 704/333-1112

05 April 2014

How Discipline alone can increase sales by more than 100%

 By Bob Urichuck

Do you want to increase your sales by 200%? With the right attitude and discipline you can increase sales by over 200%.   Do you have the correct attitude to increase sales? Does your attitude exhibit effective disciplines to increase sales?  

Discipline is a commitment to the most important person in the world. Discipline signifies doing what you have to do even when you do not want to do it. In sales, that can imply plenty, but let’s focus on increasing sales.

Primarily, to increase sales we need to establish a benchmark. Do you know your sales process numbers? For example, your sales call to close ratio? Yes ___ No ___

If you answered YES, you are utilizing discipline to inflate increased sales. You should be aware of your daily disciplines. What you have to do on a daily basis to increase sales results and what is the basis of these results. If not, look intently at how you got those results. They will identify the proper disciplines required to increase sales.

If your answer is NO, you lack discipline and must begin tracking your daily behaviour. This includes your sales disciplines especially if you yearn to increase sales.Make note or track what you habitually do on a daily basis to increase sales?

You can track your daily disciplines by creating an uncomplicated form. Simply completing this form is a discipline. Across the top of this Discipline form, write your daily sales activity. Place the numbers 1- 31 down the side of the Discipline form representing each day of the month. Indicate your sales disciplines in terms of a number or time in the column, constantly noting what you are doing to increase sales.

For example, disciplines to increase sales can be telephone – inbound / outbound, networking, referrals / introductions, etc which lead to buyer visits. Buyer visits lead to building relationships and qualifying for new opportunities. Qualified relationships lead to sales prescriptions (presentations) which in turn lead to buyers buying. Sales of $X equals increased sales.

By tracking your daily sales disciplines (activities), by totaling these disciplines at the end of the month and by averaging all disciplines, you will soon learn what we in the sales profession call, your sales call to close ratio in regards to increasing sales.

Before long you will be familiar with how many sales calls are required to make an appointment, i.e.: 10 to 1. How many buyer visits it takes to locate a qualified relationship, i.e.: 5 to 3? How many qualified relationships lead to a sales presentation, i.e.: 3 to 2? Finally, how many presentations are necessary to get the buyer to buy from you, and the value of that sale?

Now that you know your numbers, you can define the daily sales disciplines (activities) essential to increase sales.

It is purely a matter of discipline and doing what you say you will do, even if you don’t feel like doing it. Discipline is the key to increased sales.

Convert each letter of the word Discipline to a numerical value. What is the total number? Imagine having attitude and discipline working for you and earning you a 200% increase in sales.

Where can you go to learn more about Discipline and a “Buyer Focused” sales system?

Do you want to learn How to Execute the Disciplines of Attracting, Engaging and Empowering the “Buyer Focused” Velocity Selling System, to Up Your Bottom Line? Go to VelocitySelling.com, take a tour, join or make an inquiry on how we can configure the training to your sales team’s needs

Bob Urichuck is an internationally renowned Velocity Selling Specialist.

For the last 15-years he has worked with fortune 500 companies and mid size businesses to inspire, empower and add Sales Velocity to their Bottom Line. Bob is the Author of “Up Your Bottom Line” and “Disciplined for Life”

Download your complimentary copy of “The New Economy of Buyers: Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work”

Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion

05 April 2014

Astute Planner

(Excerpted from Chapter Four from Take Your Sales Performance Up-a-Notch)

By Dave Kahle

        Here's one of the foundational principles for sales success: You'll always be more effective if you think about what you do before you do it.

        Can you imagine a football team not creating a game plan or not practicing before the big game?  Can you imagine a musician not preparing a piece of music before the recital?  Can you imagine a politician not practicing the big speech?  Or a doctor not reviewing the x-rays and the procedure prior to a major surgery?  Or a lawyer barging into a case without having planned it?  The answer to all these questions is, "Of course not.”  In every event of any importance at all, professional, effective human beings plan and prepare beforehand.  It's an essential step toward success.

          The same is true for sales people.  If we think about what we do before we do it, providing we think about it in the right way, we'll significantly improve our performance.  Unfortunately, many sales people are often guilty of the same mindset that provided this speaker an excuse for his lack of concern and preparation.  Our intuition and incredible spur-of-the-moment, ad-lib skills will get us by.  WRONG!

          You have a great treasury of wisdom and insight that you've acquired through a rich set of life experiences.  Much of that wisdom and insight can be directly applied to your sales job, if you will only tap into it and use it.  Of course you'll be able to tap into some of that accumulated expertise on the spur of the moment, but you'll be far more effective if you take the time to tap into it before you get into the situation.

          If you're going to be effective with this hat, you'll think about what you do before you do it – you'll think about every telephone call, every sales call, every customer, every presentation, every interaction with your customers and prospects.  Yet it's not enough to think about what you do before you do it, you must also think about things in the right way. 

        Good planning is a matter of asking yourself the right questions, and then answering them with detail and precision.

        An amazing thing happens when you ask yourself questions – you think of the answers!  What sounds so elementary is really a powerful key to unlocking your success.  When you ask yourself a good question you stimulate your thinking.   For example, you could ask yourself, "What are the three most effective things I could do to improve my sales performance?”  That question would prompt you to analyze your performance, develop some possible changes in your behavior, and then select three that appear to be the highest priority.  That's a very worthwhile set of thoughts.  And they were prompted by the question you asked yourself.

          While this is just one example, the principle is incredibly powerful.  Learn to ask yourself good questions, and you'll think more effectively.

          It follows, then, that if you want to think well, you need to ask yourself the best questions.  For example, you could ask yourself the question, "What are all the things that the customer will not like about me in this upcoming sales call?”  Ask that question, and your mind will dredge up all the flaws and faults you've filed away in your memory.  That's probably not the most effective way to prepare for a sales call.  After thinking about that question, you're liable to be depressed and discouraged.  Rather, you could ask yourself the question, "What are two or three things I could find out about the customer that would uncover things we have in common?”  Think about the answer to that question, and your mind will dwell on your customer, not yourself, and focus on finding common ground in order to build a relationship.  Which of those two questions will be the better one for you to ask yourself prior to a sales call?

          The answer is obvious.  But the point is this – if you're going to adequately prepare and plan for your sales interchanges, you need to ask yourself the right questions.  When you ask yourself the right questions, you think in the most effective way.

          In order to implement this principle, you'll need to master two basic processes.  Each of these processes is really a series of questions, asked in a certain sequence.  Master these two processes, and you'll master the first hat, Astute Planner.  You'll gain a competency that will serve you well the rest of your working life.

        The Processes

          To implement this principle and acquire the power of the first hat, you'll need to master two processes: The prioritization process, and the planning process.

          The prioritization process is used to help you make good decisions about where to spend your time, about what to plan.  There is just not enough time in the day for you to plan everything.  So, you must first prioritize those things that are important enough to plan.  You then follow that up with the planning processes.  You'll find that you use the two together.          

          Read the expanded version of this article here for an explanation of the prioritization process. 

Dave Kahle is one of the world's leading sales authorities. He's written ten books, presented in 47 states and ten countries, and has helped enrich tens of thousands of sales people and transform hundreds of sales organizations.  Sign up for his free weekly Ezine.  Check out our Sales Resource Center for 455 sales training programs for every sales person at every level.

You may contact Dave at The DaCo Corporation, PO Box 523, Comstock Park, MI  49321, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Page Title:  How to become an astute planner for sales people, an article by Dave Kahle.